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26 Of The Best Audiobooks To Listen To This Year When You Want To Zone Out

From long commutes to longer drives, find the right audiobook and suddenly a dreary, monotonous journey becomes a delight.

While nothing will ever replace the satisfaction of thumbing through a new paperback, audiobooks are the perfect alternative for the times when you’re on the go and don’t want to lug a book around in your handbag.

With both classics and newer titles being reinvented as audiobooks, you can now be well read without ever casting an eye over a page - there really is no longer any excuse for not getting into a good book.

So, if you’ve had your fill of podcasts and are looking for something new to satisfy your audio needs then sit back, relax and prepare to settle in for hours of bliss with our pick of the best audiobooks of 2020.

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The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Run time: 13 hours and 33 minutes
The brief
: The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out

Harris’The Other Black Girl has been deemed this year’s most anticipated debut for a reason. Through telling the story of Wagner Book’s only Black employee, Nella Rogers, Harris gives us a fresh take on race and class in the publishing industry in this workplace thriller. This comes as no surprise, because like her character, Harris was once an editorial assistant in the predominantly white publishing world. Lonely and frustrated in the face of microaggressions in the office, Nella is overjoyed when another Black employee, Hazel, starts working in the cubicle beside her. But when Nella starts to receive anonymous notes threatening her to leave Wagner Books, she realises that Hazel is not the office ally she seems to be.

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One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Run time: 12 hours and 10 minutes
The brief
: Amateur-New-Yorker August’s subway crush is trapped in the wrong era

Think Kate & Leopold with a LGBTQ+ twist. Shortly after moving to New York City for college, August immediately falls head over heels for a mysterious woman upon locking eyes with her on the subway. Mesmerised, August comes to learn that this woman has been stuck on the Q line since the 1970s, has zero recollection of her past, but is desperately searching for a way back. While your heart may melt at the magical meet-cute, prepare your tissues for a tear-jerking conclusion to a love that tries to defy the boundaries of time, and a story that pushes the boundaries of the romance genre.

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Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Run time: 10 hours and 16 minutes
The brief
: Love through the eyes of an AI robot

Six years after he was crowned a Nobel laureate, Ishiguro is back with yet another novel that will haunt your thoughts. While traces of his widely acclaimedNever Let Me Go can be seen in the dystopian setting of his latest work, Klara and the Sun explores an alternate future where genetically modified children have robots as playmates. In Ishiguro’s new world, Machine Klara is picked to be the ‘Artificial Friend’ of genetically engineered teenage genius Josie. And when Klara finds out that Josie is suffering from a mysterious illness, we get a glimpse of what it means to love through the eyes of an android.

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You Are Your Best Thing edited by Tarana Burke and Brené Brown

Run time: 6 hours and 36 minutes
The brief
: Black writers discuss vulnerability and shame resilience

Founder of the ‘Me Too’ Movement, Tarana Burke, and research professor Brené Brown join hands to co-edit this potent collection of essays on black shame and healing. Through weaving together the words of Black creatives and academics such as Kiese Laymon, Imani Perry, and Laverne Cox, Burke and Brown create a space that welcomes vulnerability and processes the trauma of white supremacy. The audiobook is narrated by a multitude of voices, including the contributors and Burke and Brown themselves.

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Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

Run time: 9 hours and 58 minutes
The brief
: Oscar and Golden Globe winning film — the original novel

For those who think we’ve left the 2008 financial crisis behind, Bruder’s Nomadland will open your eyes to another world, one that has existed since the Great Recession but somehow still hidden in plain sight. From the beet fields of North Dakota to the Amazon warehouses of Texas, prepare yourself for a journey into the shadows of American economy’s dark underbelly. Hear the stories of RV dwelling nomads who, despite walking on a thin line of survival, still strive to find meaningful existence. As much as it is a scorching reminder of the fragility of the American Dream, it is a celebration of resilience. Bruder’s book is now also an Oscars and Golden Globes-winning film helmed by Chloe Zhao and starring Frances McDormand.

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Atomic Habits by James Clear

Run time: 5 hours and 35 minutes
The brie
f: Little everyday habits to get that dream life

Manifestation is a word that has rolled off many tongues during lockdown. But if you really want to take your life into your own hands, it is time to giveAtomic Habits a listen. Clear’s steady narration will guide you in changing your life for good, one bad habit at a time. Step by step, he breaks down the complex notion of the ‘dream life’ into simple behavioural patterns which are spotted in the day-to-days of the people you look up to, from Olympic gold medalists to star comedians. TLDR: don’t just talk the talk, it’s time to walk the walk.

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How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Run time: 8 hours and 44 minutes
The brief: Everything a woman struggles with but might not even tell her best friend

Moran’s How to be a Woman is old, but gold. If you are a woman, you should read this book right now. And if you’ve already read it, you should let Caitlin Moran read it again for you. From Brazillians to masturbation to motherhood, listening to Moran’s unapologetically truthful autobiographical account will feel like looking in the mirror, whether you’re in your early twenties or mid-forties. Be prepared to wince while cringing one moment and snort while laughing the next.

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The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

Run time: 10 hours and 3 minutes
The brief
: John Green gives his opinion about the most random things that exist on Earth

Ever curious about what goes on in the YA mastermind behindThe Fault in Our Stars? Then The Anthropocene Reviewed is the audiobook you have been waiting for. Listen to Green go on about anything and everything in unexpected depth, from Canada geese to his favourite Diet Dr. Pepper. While Green will make you laugh, he will also make you think about where the human race stands on a planet which we’ve centred around ourselves. Audiobook bonus: Green will ask you to join him in a war anthem duet, singing 'We’re Here Because We’re Here'.

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Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

Run time: 12 hours and 31 minutes
The brief
: Three transgender and cisgender women’s lives collide after an unexpected pregnancy

If the title of this novel has not already made you stop scrolling, the plot definitely will. Destransition, Baby follows the life of a destransitioned man (or former trans woman), Ames, who asks his trans ex-girlfriend to help parent his child carried by his current cis female boss and lover. Expect a witty encapsulation of the nuances of gender dynamics and a fearless navigation around gender taboos — an audiobook you won’t be able to pause.

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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Run time: 16 hours and 10 minutes

The brief: A death-defying interstellar journey that rivals The Martian

The Martian author is back and he is ready to make your heart race again by making the clock tick for not only another lone astronaut in space, but for humanity. Weir’s second Mark Watney is Ryland Grace, the sole survivor in a space mission that determines whether humanity will become extinct — but he doesn't know that. He doesn't even know his name, and all he sees are two corpses and a tiny spaceship. But with the help of an unexpected ally, he might just be able to save the earth from perishing forever.

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The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Run time: 13 hours and 31 minutes
The brief: The sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale - delve back into Gilead

Whether you’ve read the book or watchetd the now renowned TV series, there’s little chance that you’re hearing of The Handmaid’s Tale for the first time. The Testaments is Atwood’s gripping sequel to the dystopian novel, picking up 15 years after the events of the first book. While The Handmaid’s Tale follows Kate’s story, the set up of The Testaments offers fresh, vastly different perspectives of Gilead and how it has evolved. Narrated by the familiar Aunt Lydia (yes, that Aunt Lydia), Gilead resident Agnes and Daisy, a young Canadian woman, the storylines of each character eventually converge, with their narratives bleeding into one another to produce a satisfying conclusion. Rich storytelling makes this a great listen, particularly if you’re already a fan of Atwood’s from The Handmaid’s Tale.

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Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Run time: 13 hours and 31 minutes
The brief: Your A - Z of why sleep matters

We’re constantly told ‘sleep is important’, but this audiobook will bring an entirely new meaning to the phrase. Honing in on the full extent to which sleep can determine your quality of life, Why We Sleep offers a thorough and extensive review of every aspect of sleeping and how it affects everything from mental wellness to physical health and longevity. Written by neuroscientist and sleep researcher Matthew Walker, this audiobook makes for an informative and engaging listen without feeling like you’re stuck in a science lecture. Just make sure you don’t stay up too late listening.

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Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Run time: 15 hours and 24 minutes
The brief: Emily Doe takes back her identity

Know My Name is the intensely honest and deeply sobering audiobook written and read by Chanel Miller. Previously known to the world as Emily Doe in the Stanford sexual assault case, in this memoir she reclaims her identity with power and grace. As the attack had multiple eyewitnesses and physical evidence that was immediately taken, in theory this should have been a clear cut case. Yet the justice system failed Miller, with her assailant being sentenced to just six months and serving only three. While you will undoubtedly find yourself outraged at the many injustices Miller faced, Know My Name is a difficult but important listen. Her bravery influenced revisions to California law and imbued thousands of others with the courage to tell their own stories. Bringing unflinching focus to the realities of sexual assault and frequent shortcomings of the criminal justice system, Know My Name is an essential listen.

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Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari

Run time: 14 hours and 53 minutes
The brief: The 21st century according to the Sapiens author

If you found yourself compulsively listening through Sapiens, then there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this second audiobook from Israeli historian and author Yuval Noah Harari. Thorough, well researched and yet readily digestible, Homo Deus delves into the not-so-distant future in which we will be met with new obstacles for humankind to overcome. From eluding death to producing artificial life, Harari addresses the questions at the centre of human culture. Examining the state of our technology driven world as it accelerates ever closer towards major change, Harari evaluates what the future holds for us.

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What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Run time: 15 hours and 34 minutes
The brief: Alice muddles through her amnesia of the past 10 years

Alice Love wakes up on the floor of a gym having forgotten the past decade. Met with pure confusion, she is no longer 29 years old, pregnant and happily married but is rather divorced, mother-of-thee and now aged 39. This audiobook follows Alice’s desperate attempts to piece together the last ten years, brought to life with witty yet touching narration that makes for an easy listen. As Alice tries to reconstruct her life to try and establish how she became a future divorcee decked out in designer clothes, you’ll inevitably find yourself reviewing your own life and the extent to which it shifts over ten years. From the author of Big Little Lies, there's a good reason why this has garnered thousands of five star ratings.

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Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection by Arthur Conon Doyle

Run time: 71 hours and 57 minutes
The brief: Stephen Fry narrates Sherlock stories

Revisit the classics with this weighty six part audiobook collection of Arthur Conan Doyle’s best loved Sherlock Holmes stories. Narrated by Stephen Fry, it doesn’t get more quintessentially British than this. The perfect thing for escaping the dreariness of everyday life or settling in for a cosy and comforting listen, the audiobook also features nine personal introductions from Fry. A reliable go-to audiobook, Fry's sincere love for the catalogue of stories and unique narrative style makes for greater character depth that keeps you listening.

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Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Run time: 19 hours and 5 minutes
The brief: Fall into the surreal, metaphysical world of Murakami

Kafka on the Shore is a metaphysical audiobook which centres around 15-year-old Kafka Tamura and the elderly Nakata. After Kafka runs away from home in an effort to prevent the fulfilment of an oedipal prophecy, he finds himself drawn into Nakata’s orbit. In a world where people can talk to cats and fish fall out of the sky, Kafka on the Shore is an undeniably surreal story in which you will find yourself fully immersed. Along the way in this mysterious odyssey a vicious killing occurs, with the identity of both victim and killer woven into a riddle which is eventually unwound, along with the fates of Kafka and Nakata. While you might not expect to engage with such an abstract world, Murakami’s style of writing makes the most unusual of events seem entirely normal. Packed full of twists and turns, there truly is no book like Kafka on the Shore.

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Gotta Get Theroux This by Louis Theroux

Run time: 13 hours and 12 minutes
The brief: Take a look Theroux the looking glass

Halfway between a personal memoir and an insight into the making of his now famous documentaries, Gotta Get Theroux This provides a rare look into the man behind the interviews. From how he got his start in television to his guilt over the Jimmy Savile revelations, Theroux’s candid accounts of events has a conversational quality that carries the book. Read by Theroux himself, the audiobook offers a great deal of interesting behind the scenes details around his own family life as well as the making of his Scientology film. An honest and fascinating retelling of the events that have been instrumental to his career, if you’ve ever watched a Louis Theroux documentary Gotta Get Theroux This acts as a handy companion to his past work.

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Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney

Run time: Eight hours and 33 minutes
The brief: Sally Rooney novel exploring themes of love and growing up

After the wave of success that Normal People saw in 2019, this line up wouldn’t be complete without a Sally Rooney audiobook. Conversations with Friends is the earlier novel from the Irish writer in which Frances, a 21-year-old college student in Dublin finds herself swept up in a life of glamour. After journalist Melissa sees her potential, Frances is brought into her world where she soon finds herself entangled, entering into an affair with Melissa’s husband. Conversations with Friends follows Frances in her efforts to keep her life in some sort of order, from her affair to her strained relationship with her father and underlying issues with her best friend and ex-lover Bobbi. A starkly different set up to that of Normal People, this audiobook is engaging without being excessively dramatic, portraying the realities of getting older and how relationships evolve.

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Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

Run time: Eight hours and 42 minutes
The brief: The audiobook equivalent of Revisionist History

Why do we so often misjudge people’s character? In this audiobook Malcolm Gladwell, host of the hugely successful Revisionist History podcast, guides listeners through the ways in which we read strangers, illuminating the darker side of human nature. From spies who intercept the highest levels of authority to wrongful criminal convictions, Gladwell looks back on history to highlight the shortcomings of the ways that we judge character. Featuring recordings from interviews and re-enactments of court transcripts, each chapter feels as though it could be its own standalone episode, making for a constantly engaging listen that provides insight into how our interactions with strangers shape our own world. While you might not agree with Gladwell, your curiosity will definitely be piqued.

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My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Run time: Four hours and 30 minutes
The brief: Two sisters - one a killer and one an enabler

This audiobook tells the twisted story of two sisters. Set in Nigeria amidst a corrupt law system, Korede is constantly coming to the rescue of her sister Ayoola who has a bad habit of killing her boyfriends. With one a serial killer and one a resentful enabler who always ends up coming to the rescue, My Sister, the Serial Killer portrays two fundamentally flawed individuals. In spite of this, you’ll inconceivably find yourself sympathising with each as they struggle through this suspenseful narrative. Satirical yet dark, this audiobook makes for an entertaining listen that explores the intricacies of social media, the male gaze and a sisterly bond.

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The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

Run time: Eight hours and 37 minutes
The brief: A Syrian couple are forced to embark on the refugee trail

Nuri and Afra live uncomplicated lives in the beautiful city of Aleppo until they find themselves in the middle of a war. Forced to flee their home, the pair begin an uncertain journey through Turkey and Greece towards Britain, fuelled by the hope they will be able to join Nuri’s cousin Mustafa in Yorkshire. Moving, heartbreaking and entirely absorbing, through beautiful storytelling The Beekeeper of Aleppo illustrates the importance of finding hope and resilience in the face of tragedy.

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How Not to Be a Boy by Robert Webb

Run time: Eight hours and 52 minutes
The brief: Humour meets heartwarming

It’s no secret that until recent years, culture has held a fairly rigid view of what is expected of men: show as little emotion as possible, drink beer and watch football. In this refreshingly candid audiobook comedian Robert Webb (Peep Show, Mitchell and Webb) reveals his own personal struggles with such societal expectations. Guiding the reader through the relationships that have shaped him as well as hard learnt lessons, this book offers deeply relatable moments that serve to elevate it beyond simply being funny. Shifting from hilarious to heartwarming, How Not to Be a Boy combines humour with honesty to offer a brilliant listen.

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Educated by Tara Westover

Run time: 12 hours and 10 minutes
The brief: How a woman broke free from her survivalist Mormon childhood

Tara Westover was born in Idaho to a family of survivalist Mormons. Yet with no birth certificate, no school records and no medical files, according to the government she didn’t exist. Knowing little beyond her world of stockpiling supplies for the end of the world and assisting her parents with daily tasks, Tara had never been to school, a hospital or seen much of mainstream society. As she got older, Tara’s father became more extreme in his views, while her brother became increasingly violent. Eventually, at 16-years-old Tara knew she had to leave home for good. Driven by a desire to see the world beyond that which she knew, Tara taught herself enough to be accepted into Brigham Young University where she went on to study history, learning about major world events like World War I for the first time. Educated is a shocking story of self-invention and the transformative power of hope, tenacity and education.

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This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay

Run time: Six hours and 17 minutes
The brief: Hilarious yet horrifying stories from a junior doctor

If you somehow managed to get through the past year without getting round to listening to this audiobook then now is absolutely the time to. An irreverent, witty and honest look into the world of a junior doctor, prepare to be both shocked and disgusted at the sheer range of items that people think to put in their bodies. Packed full of amusing, heartbreaking and horrifying stories in equal measure, the audiobook is narrated by Kay who delivers his memoirs with a spectacular dryness that makes it all the more entertaining.

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Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

Run time: 13 hours and 21 minutes
The brief: Nike founder’s memoir

You might not have heard of Phil Knight before, but you’ve definitely heard of his company. Founder of Nike, in this audiobook the business heavyweight talks through the origin story of Nike, from the first $50 he borrowed from his father in 1962 to the creation of the now-famous 'swoosh' logo. Told with gripping and lucid detail, in this memoir we are given a real look into one of the world’s biggest brands. With an introduction from Knight himself, this honest and wry audiobook takes you through the countless obstacles that the founder encountered along the way, as well as formative relationships that helped to build the brand we know today.

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